Effects of a 33-ion sequential beam galactic cosmic ray analog on male mouse behavior and evaluation of CDDO-EA as a radiation countermeasure.

In long-term spaceflight, astronauts will face unique cognitive loads and social challenges which will be complicated by communication delays with Earth. It is important to understand the central nervous system (CNS) effects of deep spaceflight and the associated unavoidable exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR). Rodent studies show single- or simple-particle combination exposure alters CNS endpoints, including hippocampal-dependent behavior. An even better Earth-based simulation of GCR is now available, consisting of a 33-beam (33-GCR) exposure. However, the effect of whole-body 33-GCR exposure on rodent behavior is unknown, and no 33-GCR CNS countermeasures have been tested. Here astronaut-age-equivalent (6mo-old) C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to 33-GCR (75cGy, a Mars mission dose). Pre-/during/post-Sham or 33-GCR exposure, mice received a diet containing a 'vehicle' formulation alone or with the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound CDDO-EA as a potential countermeasure. Behavioral testing beginning 4mo post-irradiation suggested radiation and diet did not affect measures of exploration/anxiety-like behaviors (open field, elevated plus maze) or recognition of a novel object. However, in 3-Chamber Social Interaction (3-CSI), CDDO-EA/33-GCR mice failed to spend more time exploring a holder containing a novel mouse vs. a novel object (empty holder), suggesting sociability deficits. Also, Vehicle/33-GCR and CDDO-EA/Sham mice failed to discriminate between a novel stranger vs. familiarized stranger mouse, suggesting blunted preference for social novelty. CDDO-EA given pre-/during/post-irradiation did not attenuate the 33-GCR-induced blunting of preference for social novelty. Future elucidation of the mechanisms underlying 33-GCR-induced blunting of preference for social novelty will improve risk analysis for astronauts which may in-turn improve countermeasures.

Acute Stroke Care in Mexico City: The Hospital Phase of a Stroke Surveillance Study.

Background: Acute stroke care has greatly improved in recent decades. However, the increasing stroke mortality in low-to-middle income countries suggests that progress has not been reached completely by these populations. Here we present the analysis of the hospital phase of the first population-based stroke surveillance study. Methods: A daily hospital surveillance method was used to identify adult patients with acute stroke during 18 months in six hospitals. We abstracted data on demographics, vascular risk factors, neuroimaging-confirmed stroke types, and clinical data. Results: A total of 1361 adults with acute stroke were identified (mean age 69.2 years; 52% women) with transient ischemic attack (5.5%), acute ischemic stroke (68.6%), intracerebral hemorrhage (23.1%), cerebral venous thrombosis (0.2%), and undetermined stroke (2.6%). The main risk factors were hypertension (80.7%) and diabetes mellitus (47.6%). The usage rate of thrombolysis was 3.6%, in spite of the fact that 37.2% of acute ischemic stroke patients arrived in <4.5 h. The 30-day case fatality rate was 32.6%, higher in hemorrhagic than ischemic stroke. Conclusion: We identified limitations in acute stroke care in the Mexico City, including neuroimaging availability and thrombolysis usage. The door-to-door phase will help to depict the acute stroke burden in Mexico.

Social stigma towards people with HIV/AIDS, in dentistry students from Concepción

Objective: Characterize HIV/AIDS Social stigma towards people with HIV/AIDS in a sample of dentistry students from Concepción. Materials and methods: Cultural adaptation and pre-test were developed for the Stigma and HIV/AIDS Scale in dental students. Researchers collected the data from the instrument, demographic (sex/age), and academic information (course/training in HIV/AIDS, knowing a person with HIV/AIDS, provision of dental services to people living with HIV/AIDS [PLHIV]). To characterize the sample, univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics were performed with absolute and relative frequencies; the reliability of the scale was assessed with Cronbach's alpha; the relationship between the quantitative and ordinal variables was analyzed with the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The final sample comprised 138 dental students, whereas most of them reported not having training in HIV/AIDS nor providing dental services to PLHIV. Stigma and HIV/AIDS Scale showed good reliability. Two items expressing that PLHIV must disclose their condition to health professionals so they can take precautions have the highest values. A weak inverse correlation was found between Stigma and the variables age and course. Conclusions: Dental school students from Universidad of Concepción have a low social stigma towards people with HIV/AIDS. Items regarding professional practice showed higher stigma levels.

Effect of refining and pressing temperature on chemical attributes of canola oil produced in Chile

The consumption of vegetable oils is common in our daily diet. Rapeseed oil (canola oil) is the third most consumed edible oil in the world, followed by palm and soybean oils in terms of production. Rapeseed oil has a low proportion of saturated fatty acids, while it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as well as in healthy compounds such as phenols, tocopherols, phytosterols, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamins. However, processing technologies affect the content and functional activities of bioactive compounds in the oil. Aim: To assess any potential effect of hot or cold pressing and a refining process on the nutritional value and the profile of several bioactive compounds in canola oils produced in Chile. Methods: Canola oils were characterized regarding their fatty acid profile, phytosterol and tocopherol composition, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity, according to the mode of extraction (cold or hot pressed) and before and after bWeing subjected to a refining process. Results: Fatty acid profiles were not significantly different in any of the analyzed canola oils. Refining but not temperature extraction led to a sharp decrease of phytosterols and tocopherols. Hot pressing significantly increased the amount of total phenols (3.1 times) and the antioxidant activity measured by ORAC (3.1 times) and DPPH (8.3 times) compared to the cold extraction. However, phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity decreased after refining. Conclusions: Refining processes should be adjusted to reduce the loss of bioactive compounds in the oil.

El consumo de aceites vegetales es habitual en nuestra dieta diaria. El aceite de colza (aceite de canola) es el tercer aceite comestible más consumido en el mundo, seguido por los aceites de palma y soja en términos de producción. El aceite de colza tiene una baja proporción de ácidos grasos saturados, mientras que es rico en ácidos grasos insaturados, así como en compuestos liposolubles saludables como fenoles, tocoferoles, fitoesteroles, carotenoides y vitaminas. Sin embargo, las tecnologías de procesamiento afectan el contenido y las actividades funcionales de los compuestos bioactivos en el aceite. Objetivo: Evaluar cualquier efecto potencial del prensado en caliente o en frío y un proceso de refinación sobre el valor nutricional y el perfil de varios compuestos bioactivos en los aceites de canola producidos en Chile. Métodos: Los aceites de canola se caracterizaron en cuanto a su perfil de ácidos grasos, composición de fitoesteroles y tocoferoles, contenido de fenoles totales y actividad antioxidante, según el modo de extracción (prensado en frío o en caliente) y antes y después de ser sometidos a un proceso de refinación. Resultados: Los perfiles de ácidos grasos no fueron significativamente diferentes en ninguno de los aceites de canola analizados. La refinación, pero no la extracción en caliente, condujo a una fuerte disminución de los fitoesteroles y tocoferoles. El prensado en caliente aumentó significativamente la cantidad de fenoles totales (3,1 veces) y la actividad antioxidante medida por ORAC (3,1 veces) y DPPH (8,3 veces) en comparación con la extracción en frío. Sin embargo, la concentración de fenoles y la capacidad antioxidante disminuyeron después del refinado. Conclusión: Los procesos de refinación deben ajustarse para reducir la pérdida de compuestos bioactivos en el aceite.

Characterisation of the Plasmodium vivax Pv38 antigen.

This study describes the identification and characterisation of Pv38, based on the available genomic sequence of Plasmodium vivax and previous studies done with its Plasmodium falciparum homologue: Pf38. Pv38 is a 355 amino acid long peptide encoded by a single exon gene, for which orthologous genes have been identified in other Plasmodium species by bioinformatic approaches. As for Pf38, Pv38 was found to contain a s48/45 domain which is usually found in proteins displayed on gametocytes surface. The association of Pv38 with detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), its expression in mature blood stages of the parasite (mainly schizonts) and the detection of its recombinant protein by sera from Aotus monkeys previously exposed to the parasite, were here assessed to further characterise this new antigen.